You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

This IP address has been blocked from editing Wikipedia.
This does not affect your ability to read Wikipedia pages.
Most people who see this message have done nothing wrong. Some kinds of blocks restrict editing from specific service providers or telecom companies in response to recent abuse or vandalism, and can sometimes affect other users who are unrelated to that abuse. Review the information below for assistance if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong.

The IP address or range 54.163.0.0/16 has been blocked (disabled) by ‪Blablubbs‬ for the following reason(s):

The IP address that you are currently using has been blocked because it is believed to be a web host provider or colocation provider. To prevent abuse, web hosts and colocation providers may be blocked from editing Wikipedia.
You will not be able to edit Wikipedia using a web host or colocation provider because it hides your IP address, much like a proxy or VPN.
We recommend that you attempt to use another connection to edit. For example, if you use a proxy or VPN to connect to the internet, turn it off when editing Wikipedia. If you edit using a mobile connection, try using a Wi-Fi connection, and vice versa. If you are using a corporate internet connection, switch to a different Wi-Fi network. If you have a Wikipedia account, please log in.
If you do not have any other way to edit Wikipedia, you will need to request an IP block exemption.

How to appeal if you are confident that your connection does not use a colocation provider's IP address:
If you are confident that you are not using a web host, you may appeal this block by adding the following text on your talk page: ((unblock|reason=Caught by a colocation web host block but this host or IP is not a web host. My IP address is _______. Place any further information here. ~~~~)). You must fill in the blank with your IP address for this block to be investigated. Your IP address can be determined here. Alternatively, if you wish to keep your IP address private you can use the unblock ticket request system. There are several reasons you might be editing using the IP address of a web host or colocation provider (such as if you are using VPN software or a business network); please use this method of appeal only if you think your IP address is in fact not a web host or colocation provider.

Administrators: The IP block exemption user right should only be applied to allow users to edit using web host in exceptional circumstances, and requests should usually be directed to the functionaries team via email. If you intend to give the IPBE user right, a CheckUser needs to take a look at the account. This can be requested most easily at SPI Quick Checkuser Requests. Unblocking an IP or IP range with this template is highly discouraged without at least contacting the blocking administrator.

This block will expire on 17:28, 10 March 2024.

Even when blocked, you will usually still be able to edit your user talk page, as well as email administrators and other editors.

For information on how to proceed, please read the FAQ for blocked users and the guideline on block appeals. The guide to appealing blocks may also be helpful.

Other useful links: Blocking policy · Help:I have been blocked
Your IP address is in a range that has been blocked on all Wikimedia Foundation wikis. The block was made by ‪Jon Kolbert‬. The reason given is Open proxy/Webhost: See the help page if you are affected .
- Start of block: 18:27, 12 November 2023
- Expiry of block: 18:27, 12 November 2028
Your current IP address is 54.163.179.242. The blocked range is 54.163.0.0/16. Please include all above details in any queries you make. If you believe you were blocked by mistake, you can find additional information and instructions in the No open proxies global policy. Otherwise, to discuss the block please post a request for review on Meta-Wiki. You could also send an email to the stewards VRT queue at stewards@wikimedia.org including all above details.

You can view and copy the source of this page:

((More citations needed|date=September 2009))
[[Image:Train LaCeiba1.JPG|thumb|250px|City rail in [[La Ceiba]], Honduras is one of the few remaining passenger train services in Central America.]]
((Central America series))

'''Rail transport in Central America''' consists of several isolated [[rail transport|railroad]] lines with freight or passenger service. The most famous one is the [[Panama Canal Railway]], the oldest transcontinental railroad in the world, connecting [[Panama City]] with [[Colón, Panama|Colón]] since 1855. Other railroads in [[Belize]], [[Guatemala]], [[Honduras]], [[El Salvador]], [[Nicaragua]], [[Costa Rica]] and [[Panama]] were built by private and public investors mainly to facilitate the transport of local agricultural produce (bananas, coconuts, coffee) to export markets and harbors. Their market share and profitability went into decline in the second half of the twentieth century and most lines have been decommissioned by the end of the 1990s. As of 2018, railroads operate locally in Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama only; all rail transport has been suspended in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. The railways still operating do not cross national borders.

== Belize ==
((main|Rail transport in Belize))
[[Image:Abandoned Railroad Bridge in Belize.jpg|thumb|right|Old railroad bridge along the [[Hummingbird Highway]].]]

There are no operational railroads in [[Belize]]. Historically, the major line - '''[[Stann Creek Railway]]''' <ref>[http://www.guidetobelize.info/en/travel/belize-train-railway-guide.shtml Railways and Trains in Belize. A Guide to the Past]</ref> built by the British Honduras Syndicate and later used by the [[United Fruit]] - connected Middlesex Estate with [[Dangriga]] port along present-day [[Hummingbird Highway]] between 1913 and 1937.

== Costa Rica ==
((main|Rail transport in Costa Rica))
[[image:Railroad siding costa Rica mt de ocoa.jpg|left|thumb|Train Station (INCOFER) in Costa Rica, near the University of Costa Rica]]
Railroads in [[Costa Rica]] are managed by state owned ((lang|es|Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles)), Incofer, and are of ((Track gauge|1067mm|lk=on)) narrow gauge, the same as Honduras and Nicaragua.

Incofer runs the [[Interurbano Line (Costa Rica)|Interurbano Line]] around [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]] and freight trains in the Caribbean for [[ArcelorMittal]] operations.

The first railroad in Costa Rica was opened in 1873, running between San José and [[Alajuela]]. In 1890, it reached the Atlantic coast in [[Puerto Limón]]. The contractor constructing the railroad from San Jose to Limon was [[Minor Cooper Keith]]. A concession of land granted to Keith to help compensate him and investors became a component of [[United Fruit]]. Construction of a Pacific railroad started in 1897 with the first train reaching [[Puntarenas]] in 1910. In 1926, a decision was made to electrify the lines; the first electric train reached Puntarenas in 1930.

The railroad network was damaged during an earthquake in 1991 and operations suspended in 1995. In 2005 Incofer started the [[Interurbano Line (Costa Rica)|Interurbano Line]] by reconditioning the abandoned lines in the [[Greater Metropolitan Area (Costa Rica)|Greater Metropolitan Area]].

== El Salvador ==
((main|Rail transport in El Salvador))
[[Image:FENADESAL2005.JPG|thumb|right|Short-lived shuttle train in San Salvador, 2005]]

All rail transport in [[El Salvador]] was suspended between October 2002 and 2007, with the exception of a short-lived shuttle passenger train between [[San Salvador]] and [[Soyapango]] during emergency repairs on a road bridge in 2004 - 2005.

In 2007 a suburban passenger service operated by FENADESAL between San Salvador, [[Delgado, San Salvador|Ciudad Delgado]] and [[Apopa]] has been put in service, it runs Monday to Friday a round-trip on early morning and another round-trip during evening peak. Its low fare of $0,10 makes it very popular. During 2008 this train transported 224,727 passengers. However service was again suspended in 2013.

Railroads have been built in El Salvador since 1882 by '''The Salvador Rail Company Limited''' (later named '''FES''' - Ferrocarril de El Salvador) and United Fruit (IRCA). In 1975, the two companies merged into '''FENADESAL''' - Ferrocarriles Nacionales de El Salvador. At present, this agency oversees 554.8&nbsp;km of disused tracks, connecting major cities and formerly linked to Guatemala railroads at Anguiatú. The railroads in El Salvador were of narrow gauge, ((Track gauge|914mm|lk=on)), the same as Guatemala. The line from Texis Junction to Santa Ana and Ahuachapán has been dismantled and the soil of it given away to people who lost their houses during an earthquake, today it is probably the longest and narrowest slum.

Official homepage: https://web.archive.org/web/20100306182740/http://www.fenadesal.gob.sv/

== Guatemala ==
((main|Rail transport in Guatemala))
[[Image:GT Sanarate freighttrain2.JPG|thumb|left|Freight transport was the main business of Ferrovías Guatemala.]]

[[Guatemala]] had ((convert|200|mi|km|abbr=on|disp=flip)) of operating ((Track gauge|914mm|disp=1)) [[narrow gauge railway|narrow gauge railroad]]s between [[Guatemala City]] and [[Puerto Barrios]], managed by US-based [[Railroad Development Corporation]]<ref>[http://www.rrdc.com Railroad Development Corporation]</ref> as '''Ferrovías Guatemala'''. They ran regular freight trains and occasional charter steam trains for tourists from 1999 until September 2007, when all operation was suspended following a conflict with the Government of Guatemala. (June 2011) Most of the rail and steel bridges have now been dismantled by thieves meaning there now no possibility that service can be reinstated without millions of dollars' worth of investment in rebuilding it.

Railroads have been built in Guatemala since 1884. In 1912, the network was acquired by [[United Fruit Company]], named '''IRCA''' and developed to connect Guatemala City with the Pacific coast ([[Puerto San José]]), Atlantic coast ([[Puerto Barrios]]), El Salvador ([[Anguiatú]]), Mexico ([[Ciudad Tecún Umán]] - [[Break-of-gauge|change of gauges]] (restored <ref>((Cite web|url=https://www.puertochiapas.com.mx/news/362-railway-between-guatemala-and-mexico-connectivity-across-puerto-chiapas|title = Railway between Guatemala and Mexico, connectivity across Puerto Chiapas))</ref>) ((Track gauge|1435mm|disp=or|lk=on)) / ((Track gauge|914mm|disp=or|lk=on))) and other places. In the 1950s, the railroads went into a decline, resulting in nationalization (1968, new name was '''FEGUA''' - Ferrocarriles de Guatemala) and suspension of all services in 1996. In 1997, the government gave a fifty-year concession to the [[Railroad Development Corporation]], which then resumed operations on one line in 1999 and abandoned operation on September 30, 2007.

Apart from this main network, there were two other local railroads - '''Ferrocarril de Los Altos''' from [[Quetzaltenango]] to [[Retalhuleu]] and '''Ferrocarril Verapaz''' to the North-West of [[Lago de Izabal]]. They were closed in 1933 and 1963, respectively. A [[Metro Riel|light rail system]] for Guatemala City is in the planning stages.

== Honduras ==
((main|Rail transport in Honduras))
[[File:Train LaCeiba2.JPG|thumb|right|Passenger train in La Ceiba on January 11, 2005. Engineer tanks fuel manually from a barrel. Colorful passenger car (former box car without walls) is attached to the right.]]

Railroads in [[Honduras]] have been built in the northern lowlands (Valle de Sula) since the 1880s by two competing banana growers - United Fruit and [[Standard Fruit]]. They never extended to the capital ([[Tegucigalpa]]) or to the Pacific coast and never linked to other countries. In 1993, the combined network had 785&nbsp;km. All railroads in Honduras are  ((Track gauge|1067mm)). In 2006, three separate segments operated under the management of '''FNH - [[Ferrocarril Nacional de Honduras]]''':
* [[San Pedro Sula]] - [[Puerto Cortes]] (50&nbsp;km, freight trains carrying mainly lumber) and occasional passenger trains around San Pedro Sula, for example during carneval and other holidays.
* City rail in [[La Ceiba]] (3&nbsp;km, passenger transport between downtown and a western suburb, Col. Sitramacsa)
* Line between [[La Unión, Atlántida|La Unión]] (a village near [[La Ceiba]])<ref>((Google maps|url=http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=la+union+atlantida+honduras&ie=UTF-8&ei=DpGCU-DVLMS9OaaEgIgK&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ|title=La Unión))</ref> and [[Parque Nacional Cuero y Salado]] (9&nbsp;km, transport of coconuts to a processing plant and of tourists to national park)

== Nicaragua ==
((main|Rail transport in Nicaragua))
[[File:Shot0004.png|thumb|Diesel Locomotive General Electric in the old Nicaragua's railway]]

There are no operating railroads in [[Nicaragua]]. The majority of lines were closed in 1993, the last one in 2001.

Narrow gauge railroads in Nicaragua have been built since 1878 on the Pacific coast. First was a Western division (from [[Corinto, Chinadega|Corinto]] to Puerto Momotombo at [[Lake Managua]], passengers to Managua had to change to a steamboat), then the Eastern division from [[Managua]] to [[Granada]] and finally a Central division connecting these two (thus eliminating the need for steamboats). In the following years, several branch lines were built. There were attempts to connect both coasts, but they all failed; except for a few isolated lines in the North, almost all of the network was in the Pacific basin. In 1993, there were 373&nbsp;km of ((Track gauge|1067mm|lk=on)) narrow gauge tracks in the Pacific region and isolated 3&nbsp;km of ((Track gauge|sg|allk=on)) line at [[Puerto Cabezas]] in the Caribbean. Most lines were shut down on December 31, 1993. The last one - 6&nbsp;km from [[Chichigalpa]] to [[Ing. S. Antonio]] - was decommissioned in September 2001.

== Panama ==
((main|Rail transport in Panama))

[[Image:CulebraSummit.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Panama railway in 1854]]
The only operating railroad in [[Panama]] is [[Panama Railway]] - the oldest intercontinental railway in the world, connecting [[Panama City]] and [[Colón, Panama|Colón]] with passenger and freight trains since 1855. It provided a vital transport link between the eastern United States and California during the mid 19th century and was used for the construction of the [[Panama Canal]]. In 1979 the US transferred control of the railroad to Panama; in 1998 it was privatized and since 2000, it runs on ((Track gauge|1435mm|allk=on)). Prior to that it ran on ((Track gauge|5ft|lk=on)) [[broad gauge]].

At the end of the nineteenth century, the government of Colombia studied the feasibility of additional railroads. Panama Railway was commissioned to estimate the cost of a railroad from Panama City to [[David, Panama|David, Chiriquí]]. The cost was however too high and a decision was made to build additional network in [[Chiriquí Province]] only. This railroad ('''Ferrocarril de Chiriquí''') was inaugurated on April 23, 1916 with the first train on a steep mountain line from David to Boquete. Additional lines were built subsequently. After 1974 the infrastructure of Chiriquí Railroads has been transferred to Ministry of Public Works (Ministerio de Obras Públicas) and operations were stopped line by line. The last regular passenger service operated twice daily with a railcar between Ciudad David and Puerto Armuelles in about 1984. In the beginning of the 21st century, the tracks of the defunct railroads are being dismantled and reused for construction of bridges in rural areas.

Two separate and distinct [[tram]] or [[streetcar]] systems operated in [[Panama City]].  The first started service on October 1, 1893 and ended during the [[Thousand Days' War]]. The second started in 1913 and operated, with reorganizations and company transferrals, until May 31, 1941.<ref name="morrison">((cite web|last=Morrison|first=Allen|url=http://www.tramz.com/co/pa/pa.html|title=The Tramways of Colombia / Panama|date=1 February 2008|access-date=2010-11-07))</ref>

The [[Chiquita Brands|Chiriqui Land Co.]] operated 2 railways systems, one in [[Puerto Armuelles]] (Pacific) and in [[Changuinola]] to [[Almirante, Bocas Del Toro|Almirante]] Port (Caribbean), used to transport bananas and company equipment. The Puerto Armuelles side was shutdown when Chiquita decided return land to the Panamanian government, around 2008 the Changuinola side closed operations and sold railways and [[Diesel-electric train|diesel-electric engines]] to a Brazilian company, some of this equipment is now in use in Eastern Africa.

The railway system was impressive, covered from [[Sixaola]] to Almirante, including all Changuinola banana farms. In 2010, contracts were awarded for line 1 of a [[Panama Metro|metro system for Panama City]].

== International ==
An intercontinental railway was proposed in 1912 to connect North and South America.<ref>((Cite book|title=Panama: The Isthmus and the Canal|url=https://archive.org/details/panamaisthmuscan01forb|last=Forbes|first=Charles|publisher=The John C. Winston Co.|year=1912|location=Library of Congress|pages=[https://archive.org/details/panamaisthmuscan01forb/page/15 15]))</ref>

The FERISTSA railway was proposed by [[The Shaw Group]] in 2010 to connect Mexico with Panama via ports along the way, the group in charge doesn't exist anymore and the plan was discarded.<ref>((cite web
|url=http://www.bnamericas.com/news/infrastructure/Shaw_Group_in_talks_with_US_railroad_cos_for_Feristsa_project
|access-date=2010-10-16
|title=Shaw Group in talks with US railroad cos for Feristsa project, Central America, Infrastructure, news
|archive-date=2016-03-03
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190254/http://www.bnamericas.com/news/infrastructure/Shaw_Group_in_talks_with_US_railroad_cos_for_Feristsa_project
|url-status=dead
))</ref>

== References ==
((reflist))

== External links ==
((commons category))
* [http://www.fahrplancenter.com/AIFFLACentroamerica03.html Unofficial timetables of Central American passenger trains]
* [http://www.ferrolatino.ch/FLBEng.htm Ferrolatino - information on Latin American railroads]
* [http://railtrips.euweb.cz/c_cam_zgalerie_en.html Overview with contact addresses and photos]

((Central America topic|Rail transport in))
((Americas topic|Rail transport in))

[[Category:Rail transport in Central America| ]]

Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page (help):

Rail transport in Central America (edit)
Template:Ambox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Americas topic (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:Center (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Central America series (edit)
Template:Central America topic (edit)
Template:Cite Google Maps (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Cite book (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite map (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite web (view source) (protected)
Template:Commons category (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Convert (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Fraction/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Google maps (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Hlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:If then show (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Lang (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Longitem (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Main (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Main other (view source) (protected)
Template:More citations needed (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Plainlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Side box (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Sidebar with collapsible lists (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Sister project (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Track gauge (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Arguments (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/blacklist (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/shared (view source) (protected)
Module:Check for unknown parameters (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1 (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/COinS (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Date validation (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Whitelist (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Convert (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Convert/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Convert/text (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Exponential search (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/config (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/links (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/templates/Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Format link (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote list (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Labelled list hatnote (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Lang (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Lang/ISO 639 synonyms (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Lang/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana languages (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana regions (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana scripts (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana suppressed scripts (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana variants (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Message box (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/ambox.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Side box (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Side box/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Sidebar (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Sidebar/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Sidebar/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:String (view source) (protected)
Module:TableTools (view source) (protected)
Module:Track gauge (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Track gauge/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Unicode data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Unicode data/scripts (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Unsubst (view source) (protected)
Module:WikidataIB (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataIB/nolinks (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataIB/titleformats (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Yesno (view source) (protected)

Return to Rail transport in Central America.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Central_America"